Former NC Governor Jim Hunt:

"The arms race for money that drives our campaigns threatens the concept of one person, one vote."

Support Our Work!

Support Voter-Owned Elections and help us fullfil the promise of one person, one vote!

NCVCE Facebook Page

Want more news on money in politics and clean election reforms? Check out our Facebook page!

Support the Coalition's Work

If we are to solve the greatest problems of the 21st century—we must end our elected officials’ dependencies on special interests. Public campaign financing is a proven way to create a cleaner, more accessible system of elections in North Carolina. With your financial support, we can expand these programs and continue to make our state election process work better for average voters and the public interest.

Checks can be mailed to:

North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections

Post Office Box 10402

Raleigh, North Carolina 27605

North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections is a not-for-profit corporation. It neither supports nor opposes political candidates. However, because we are a 501(c)4, contributions are not tax deductible, but still worth making.

Campaign Donors Call for Reform

Hundreds of large campaign donors from North Carolina's business, law, and banking professions are saying the system of private campaign fundraising is seriously broken. At a press conference in Raleigh today, former U.S. Senator Robert Morgan and former Congressman Tim Valentine announced the formation of a group called 'Campaign Donors for Campaign Reform' to promote a 'Voter-Owned' public campaign program as an alternative to the current financing system. Under public financing, candidates could receive a public grant to run their campaigns— but only if they first collected hundreds of small, qualifying contributions from voters and agreed to strict spending and fundraising limits.

'Political fundraising has become a never ending money chase,' said Robert Morgan who wrote the letter asking people to endorse campaign public financing reform. 'The fundraising arms race threatens the integrity of our elections.' More than 700 donors, who have contributed $7 million for NC elections since 2000, signed on as 'Campaign Donors for Campaign Reform' and endorsed public financing. They include:

Former bank CEOs - William Burns, John Forlines, Robert Mauldin, Thomas Storrs

Members of the group cited the 'endless hustle for campaign money,' the growing role of special interest money, public perception about 'pay-to-play' politics, and the rising costs of campaigns – which have tripled in the last decade – as reasons why a system of campaign public financing was needed.

Robert Morgan noted that the testimony of eyewitnesses to the day-to-day details of the current privately financed campaign system provides a compelling argument for reform. 'When the very people who for years have funded North Carolina campaigns say the system is fundamentally broken, you've got a real problem,' Morgan said. He emphasized that the campaign donors include a mixture of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents from a wide range of professions and from every part of the state.

Democracy North Carolina, a Durham-based watchdog group, coordinated the effort to gather the endorsements in conjunction with NC Voters for Clean Elections (NCVCE), a broad coalition that includes AARP, NAACP, the NC Bankers Association, and NC Council of Churches. The group backs a public financing option for elections in North Carolina and is working this session to expand the state's appellate judicial program to a limited number of Council of State offices and legislative seats.

Molly Beacham, Director of Development at Democracy North Carolina, cited the success of voluntary public financing programs in Arizona, Maine, and North Carolina as reasons why the idea should be expanded. 'These programs are working to make elections better for everybody involved – candidates, donors, and especially voters,' she said.

In 2006, eight of the 12 state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals candidates were participants in the program, and in 2004, 12 of the 16 candidates participated. New Mexico recently adopted a judicial public financing program modeled on North Carolina's, and other states, including Wisconsin, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Illinois are considering similar legislation.

Other participants cited their interest in bills this session that would expand campaign public financing to Council of State elections. 'Campaign public financing would free Council of State candidates from having to raise money from the industries their office regulates, and as a result these agencies would be freed from the perception of a conflict of interest,' said Paul Stock, General Counsel for the NC Bankers Association. 'This system is about increasing confidence in government and improving the state as a whole.'

Chase Foster, coordinator for NCVCE, said the event today dramatizes the widespread support for campaign public financing. 'Support for campaign public financing among campaign donors is part of a growing movement of support that now includes thousands of former elected officials, business groups, religious and civic leaders, and citizens,' said Foster. 'This event sends a clear message to legislators that the time for voluntary public financing in elections is now.'